The prophetic events found in The Book of Daniel and in The Revelation of John are of great interest to students of scripture, and every Christian denomination has placed their own interpretations upon them. Many have been rather sound in their explanation, while still leaving room for uncertainty. This work does not represent the views of any particular religion, and the facts may be far different than commonly considered.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Part 8:
The 1260 Days

Now that we know where we are in earth’s time and God’s total scheme of things, let’s delve into another prophecy, that of John’s Revelation 12:1-5:

1 AND there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

These five verses can tempt quite a few more questions to be asked, but we will venture only two at this time: 1) Who is the woman clothed with the sun, and 2) who is the man child?

When we read the description of the man child, we find that there is only one Individual in all eternity who fits the answer. “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev. 19:15-16.) The answer should be obvious—Jesus Christ.

That makes the woman Israel (including both Kingdoms of Judah and Israel) and the 12 stars the 12 tribes. The dragon would then be Satan, who tried to defeat the Lord during His mortal ministry, and the fallen stars would be the fallen angels.

Continuing on with verse 6 of Revelation 12 we read: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore day.” That is 1260 days, or could it be Hebrew years?

Taking a starting date, say at the Dome of the Rook — 688 AD — let’s do a little calculating:

688 + 1260 years = 1948

As of 1948, the Jews are no longer dispersed throughout the nations. On May 15th of that year, Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, stood and declared the nation of Israel to be a sovereign state. That is a historic fact that nobody can dispute.

And as of 1948, the woman of Revelation 12, Israel, is no longer in the wilderness. Jeremiah spoke of the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” when Satan’s yoke upon the Jewish neck would be broken: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves [make slaves] of him” (Jer. 30:7-8; brackets added.)

Before 688 AD both Christians and Jews could freely worship in Jerusalem and on the temple mount. They were not prophetically in the “wilderness” of the nations until the Moslems established the “abomination of desolation”; it then became dangerous for them to worship there any more.